Soldiers Initiate Foraging Activities in the Subterranean Termite,Heterotermes tenuis

Abstract

Caste polyethism has been recorded in some termite species, however the foraging behavior of subterranean termites remains poorly known. Heterotermes tenuis Hagen (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) is a subterranean termite that is native to Brazil and is an agricultural and urban pest. The aim of this study was to investigate which caste acts as scouts when searching for food sources and determinate the percentages of each caste present in the foraging territories of field colonies of H. tenuis. Our results showed no significant differences among the caste proportions present in the foraging territories of the three colonies studied in the field. Laboratory experiments showed that minor soldiers were the most frequent initiators of foraging activities. This result suggests that the exploratory phase of the foraging behavior may be regulated by the number of soldiers present in the foraging territories of each colony.

Exploratory and recruitment phases in soldier-mediated foraging activities in the termite,Coptotermes intermediusSilvestri (Rhinotermitidae: Coptotermitinae)

“…Observations from this study, therefore, suggest that the exploratory and, to a large extent, the recruitment phase of foraging may be regulated by the number of soldiers present in the foraging arena. As observed by Hinze & Leuthold (1999), Konates et al (2000) in Macrotermes bellicosus and Casarin et al (2008) in Heterotermes tenuis, caste polyethism also occurs in foraging activities of Coptotermes intermedius.…”

“…Therefore, investigating this aspect of termite behaviour had been a herculean task. A few studies on foraging and exploratory activities in termites had been carried out by Traniello & Buscher (1985), Malaka & Leuthold (1986), Malaka (1987), Kaib (1990), Olugbemi & Malaka (1994, 2007, Traniello et al (2000) and Casarin et al (2008).…”

“…However, this behaviour has been poorly studied in subterranean termites (Miura & Matsumato, 1998). Studies by Casarin et al (2008), on the role of soldiers in initiating foraging activities in Heterotermes tenuis, indicated that the soldier caste are not only involved in foraging activities but also initiate the exploratory phase of this activity. Similar observations were made by Traniello (1981) on Nasutitermes costalis and Kaib (1985) and Traniello et al (2000) on Schedorhinotermes lamanianus.…”

Panic escape polyethism in worker and soldier Coptotermes formosanus (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae)

“…Soldier Nasutitermes costalis (Holmgren) not only initiated antipredator defense, but also initiated the foraging trail by laying trial pheromones (Traniello, ). A similar function in initiating foraging activity was also found in soldier C. formosanus and Heterotermes tenuis Hagen (Wells & Henderson, ; Casarin et al ., ).…”

Dynamics of foraging trails in the Neotropical termite Velocitermes heteropterus (Isoptera: Termitidae)

“…the soldiers (Noirot and Darlington, 2000). In several species, such as Nasutitermes corniger (Traniello, 1981) and Heterotermes tenuis (Casarin et al, 2008), only soldiers are involved in the initial stages of foraging activity. On the other hand, our observations show that both workers and soldiers initiated the exploration of new areas in V. heteropterus.…”